Community college to rent some textbooks

Just three years ago, students at the Bellevue Community College bookstore would throw a pile of textbooks on the counter each quarter and wait for the verdict. The cost was usually $200 to $250.

Now the typical cost is $350 to $400 — an amount distressing to many students, said Kristen Connely, store manager.

So this summer, BCC will become one of a few colleges in the state — and in the country — to offer a formal textbook rental program.

The rental books will probably be expensive tomes from the math, science or philosophy programs, Connely said. A math textbook can cost $150, for example, but books in the program will rent for about $35 a term.

Connely is not the only one reacting to a growing national issue.

Gov. Christine Gregoire signed a bill this week that will require bookstores at public four-year universities to tell professors about book prices and help promote programs that allow students to sell back their books.

According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, college textbook prices nearly tripled between 1986 and 2004, double the rate of inflation. Students in Washington state spend an average of $924 a year on books and supplies, according to the state Financial Aid Association.

One of the biggest reasons for the increase, say state and federal officials, is publishers are "bundling" more extra materials, such as CD-ROMs and workbooks. Also, new editions of textbooks are released more often, and many professors don't know the cost of the books they assign.

In 2003-04, first-time students at four-year public schools spent 26 percent of their college costs on books and supplies, according to the U.S. accountability office. Students at two-year schools, such as community colleges, spent 72 percent.

Connely said she heard complaints about book prices all the time from BCC students, many of whom don't have as much money as students at universities. She heard about rental programs started by a couple of schools in California and got to work.

The rental program is starting as a small, two-year trial. The bookstore will offer one book for summer term, expand to three titles for fall term and then more if the dollar figures pencil out.

As many as 100 students will use the program over the summer, and then as many as 500 in the fall.

Students also will be able to put the rental cost toward buying the book.

Professors will need to make a two-year commitment to a book, so the bookstore can rent the book enough times to recoup costs, Connely said.

The bill signed by the governor this week will require that university officials come up with rules to make professors consider more affordable textbooks. Bookstores must disclose the cost of materials for each class, and tell professors about the differences between editions of a book.

Publishers must also play a strong role in keeping costs down, but one of the main purposes of the law is to let people know about the problem, said Rep. Timm Ormsby, D-Spokane, the lead sponsor. Many students and parents, for example, focus on paying tuition, which is rising even faster than the price of books.

"They may have found a way to afford a university [education] ... but they didn't know all the associated costs," Ormsby said.

Ormsby said he hopes the Legislature will approve a similar bill for community colleges, which are governed differently than universities and would need a separate law.

Ashley Bach: 206-464-2567 or abach@seattletimes.com